One word from you is enough
by Black Scorpio X
Summary: Valeria wants to leave her world. Nightmare grants her wish. She arrives at Wonderland, but her past continues to haunt her. What will she do now? Will she leave or stay here? It seems that a certain role-holder has his eye on her. Rated T for violence and mild language.
1. Chapter 1

**Here's my first HNKNA fanfic, so please don't be too harsh on me. I hope you'll like it. Enjoy.**

* * *

_~Italy, July 18__th__, near-end of the 20__th__ century~_

The rain was heavy tonight. We could barely see what was in front of us. Despite that, someone is able to arrive safely at "home". The sound of steps splashing in the water was mixed with the one of rain pouring on the ground and rooftops. When the person arrived, she pushed the door to open it and enter inside. She put her black hoodless cloak on the coat-hanger, her black lightly high-heeled boots that end lightly under her knees on the cold stony floor and her black (bird) wing-shaped mask with bloody-red lenses on her bed and went to take a bath. She waited until the water was warm enough to go in. Next to her bathtub were her clothes and accessories: a long black ribbon used to tie her waist-length hair, black mid-thigh see-through socks, black fingerless mid-forearm-length gloves and a black sleeveless knee-length and neck-strap dress that shows her back with black lace at the end, a black tight belt for holding her two pistols (**Tanfoglio Force 22L**) and a box for extra bullets and two black thigh-belts with many little knives in them. People would say that a normal young woman shouldn't carry dangerous weapons on her, but she isn't normal. In fact, she's an assassin, working for the Italian mafia family of her master ever since she was 10. Her job was to get rid of the mafia's enemies, the witnesses that can be a bother to the group and the clients that can't repay them. Spilling blood from others' body and ending their life. That was the only thing she was capable of. Of course, she can read, write, count, dance and knows everything about her country (from its history to its lessons of etiquette), but killing was her special talent (if you consider that a talent, that is). When she had done washing herself, she came out of the wooden bathtub and dried her body with a towel. Then, she put her clothes and accessories back on and her hair was tied in a high ponytail. She rested her body on the half-hard bed and closed her eyes. Her boots, cloak and mask were in her gloved hands. Her weapons were attached to her. Two of the most important rules of an assassin: NEVER let your guard down and ALWAYS be ready to attack. She knows that, but she had them on her for a different reason. She was waiting for her guide to a better world for her…that was what the mysterious man with the eye-patch told her at least. She heard the pendulum clock striking midnight. It was time!

"I want to leave that man and this place…this country…this world…this life…this nightmare." she murmured, half-asleep "Please, take me to…Wonderland."

Finally, she fell in a deep slumber, her possession still tightly held against her. She was dreaming. A shadow walked silently toward her with a smirk. The back of its right hand caressed her cheek.

"It seems that you're ready…Valeria." murmured the shadow.

* * *

The young black-clad woman opened her eyes and looked around her. She was in some kind of colourful dimension and we couldn't see where it ends. The murderess immediately recognized this place.

"Hello, Valeria." welcomed a deep familiar voice to her.

The girl named Valeria turned around to see a man with an eye-patch covering his right eye, whitish silver chin-length hair, a dark outfit with a lavender-purple handkerchief close to his left lapel and a smoking pipe in his hand.

"How what your day?" he asked.

"Why are you asking me that?" she replied neutrally "You can read minds, so you don't need to do it."

A chuckle came out of his mouth.

"You're right: I can. I am an incubus, after all." he said "I know that you have committed three murders, today: two due to the inability to repay your master and one to an enemy of his."

Valeria didn't say anything to that. She simply nodded.

"You're here to grant my wish." she responds, tit for tat "I know that, because I was sleepier than usual when I was resting on my bed."

Another chuckle came out of his mouth…mixed with dark blood and the sound of coughing. Valeria didn't panic to that. She got used to his problematic habit of never go see a doctor when he is obviously terribly sick. Also, she sees blood and its red colour every day. It was so usual in her life that her eyes became as red as the blood spilled from her victims' body. She extended her hand toward him. Impatience was in her eyes and she was pretending that he was fine (even if she was worried, he would say that everything is okay).

His smirk widened lightly "You really want to leave this world, don't you?"

"You already know my answer to your question." she replied neutrally again.

Nightmare chuckled again, but without coughing blood out of his mouth. Her desire to leave her world was big, he can sense that. He took a glassed vial containing a colourless liquid with a heart-shaped cork made of the same material out of his top and gave it to the girl.

"Drink it and your wish will come true." he said as the girl in black took the vial in her hand "Trust me."

"I do and you know it." her voice didn't contain any emotion, not even a hint of fear "Besides, death can also be another good option to grant me happiness."

Without hesitation, she opened the vial and drank all of its containing. It had a bad taste. It was like drinking bitter medicine, but she got used to that, too. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, her eyelids began to feel very heavy. Before she realized it, she was in the incubus' arms. Her eyes are closed and her body became numb.

"We'll meet again." he murmured "Until then, enjoy your stay at Wonderland, my dear."

Another foreigner has entered the game.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry if you think that this chapter is short. I'll try to make a longer one, next time. **


	2. Chapter 2

Valeria's body was lying on the grass and she feels the wind on her skin.

"_Wind…Am I already here?"_

She opened her eyes slowly and tries to see where she is right now. There were trees and bushes everywhere. Her possessions and the empty vial are next to her. She placed the glassed container in the little case of extra bullets and put her cloak, mask and boots on before standing up. She immediately saw a path and followed it.

"_I wonder where it will take me."_

Sunset arrived sooner than she expected, but she wasn't surprised.

"_This is Wonderland, so it's normal that time passes faster than in my world."_

Suddenly, the girl in black hears the sound of rustling in a bush near her. With great agility, she took her gun and shot at whatever was moving. Something quickly came out of its hiding place. Valeria was surprised, but didn't show it, to see a man with short brown hair, pinkish red eyes, a red outfit and a big sword. No doubt, it was a swordsman. Without hesitation, she pointed her weapon at where the man's heart should be. The brown-haired swordsman stopped and looked at her glaring eyes covered by the bloody-red lenses of her mask. He seemed surprise and confused, but soon gives her a naïve, friendly and bright grin.

"Hi, my name is Ace. I'm a knight of the Castle of Hearts." he introduced himself "Sorry for startling you, **Partner**."

The girl arched slightly an eyebrow, but didn't stop glaring at him. That guy introduced himself to her just like that and thinks that she's his "partner". What's wrong with him? Despite his kind behavior, she didn't lower her gun. She can feel something else in him, something bad. Ace sees that she doesn't trust him (A/N: who would?). So it's time for PLAN B: Questioning the person.

"What is your name?" he asked.

She didn't answer and didn't lower her weapon. In fact, she was beginning to pull the trigger.

"Were you sent by Julius?

No answers. The trigger is slowly pulling.

"Are you lost?"

The trigger was fully pulled and she shot. However, Ace pulled his sword right on time to defend himself. Behind her lenses, her eyes widened with surprise.

"I see. You want to practice with Me." he said as if the shot had never happened "I would love to."

If she wasn't serious and emotionless, she would have fallen on the ground, Japanese-style, sweatdropped or a vein popping over her head. She hates looking like a coward, but fighting the knight will only be a waste of time. With the same fast agility as before, she put her weapon back in its holster and ran to the opposite direction she was taking.

"You want to play tag? Okay!" she heard the knight exclaimed jovially "You better run fast, because I know a shortcut."

She was so preoccupied trying to get away from Ace that she hasn't seen him go deeper in the forest. Valeria couldn't believe it! She was in Wonderland for only a few minutes (?) and she was already in trouble! This was the world where everything can be better for her? She gritted her teeth.

"_Nightmare, what a useless bastard he is! When I'll see him again, he better give me a good reason for sending me here! If not, I'll make sure that doctors are nothing compared to me and that his other eye will have an eye-patch too!"_

In the Dream Realm, Nightmare was watching the angry Valeria thanks to some kind of video-portal. He wasn't feeling intimidated by her words/thoughts. Actually, he was chuckling.

"My, I guess I have teleported her too far from the Clover Tower." he thought aloud "Let's just hope that she'll get there before night time."

Unfortunately, as if right on cue, the dark sky with stars appeared over Wonderland.

"Oops. Me and my big mouth." the incubus said with a light laugh "How will you survive your first night at Wonderland, Valeria?"

The girl didn't panic when night has arrived. The lenses of her mask were made from the same ones used for active-infrared night vision. When you're in the woods or on a nocturnal mission, always bring the necessity. The more she walks, the more she feels lost.

"_Maybe I should have gone with that knight. He's a habitant of Wonderland, after all."_

* * *

**MEANWHILE,  
AT ACE'S SIDE…**

If Valeria knew Ace, she would have regretted thinking that she needed him, because right now, the brown-haired man was more lost than her. Instead of finding his "partner", he found the way to the Hatter's mansion. He was greeted by an annoyed Elliot and the Bloody Twins.

"Hey, guys!" he greeted happily.

"You, again!" exclaimed the hare-eared man

"Don't worry. I didn't come here for trouble." Ace said "I'm playing tag with my friend."

Elliot arched an eyebrow while the twins had an excited grin on their face.

"Tag?" said the blue one (Dee) before looking at his twin "Did you hear that, brother?"

"Yeah, brother." the red one (Dum) replied.

"GAME TIME!" they exclaimed in unison.

The twins were about to run with Ace, but they were stopped by Elliot who grabbed their collar and banged their head together.

"OUCH! Hey! Let us go, newbie-hare!" said Dum.

"Yeah, we want to play too!" added Dee.

"That's his problem!" replied the bright-orange-haired guy "You two are supposed to keep an eye on the gates of the mansion!"

"No one had passed in front of them until now." replied Dum "So it's alright."

"Yeah, that's right." added Dee.

Elliot growled before letting go of the dangerous twins "Fine, but if your wages go down, don't blame me."

"HURRAY!" the twins victoriously cried before looking at Ace.

"How does your friend look like?" they asked in unison.

"Well, she has…"

"**She**?" interrupted the hare-man.

"Yeah, it's a girl." Ace answered before returning to the twins "She has long white wavy hair tied in a high ponytail and a very pale skin, wears black clothes and carries guns on her."

At the mention of the word "guns", the twins immediately went in the woods.

"We're so going to find her!" the hare-eared man and the knight heard them yelling.

Ace laughed as he patted Elliot's shoulder "These two are amusing."

The orange-haired guy gave a glare of anger, annoyance and coldness to the brown-haired one "Aren't you supposed to go search for your friend too?"

"Yeah, but I'll let an advantage for them." the knight respond "If they return without her, I'll go searching for her."

Elliot growled again. He hopes that the annoying twins will come back quickly at the gates, with or without the girl, alive or not, so that the knight with no sense of direction will leave this place.

* * *

**MOMENTS LATER,  
AT VALERIA'S SIDE…**

She was more and more lost. Morning didn't come. When will it arrive? Again, she heard rustling and someone's steps nearby. She immediately took out a knife from her thigh-belts and ran to where the sounds were thinking that it could be an animal. When it was close enough, she jumped on the source and was surprised to see a young boy in a uniform with a hat and a one-sided battle axe in his right hand.

"_A child…what is he doing here?" _

"Now, brother!" he exclaimed.

Hiding in the shadows, the red twin swung his weapon to slash the girl's back, but she dodged it just in time by skipping to the side. Rolling on the ground for a second, Valeria immediately stood up and ran in the shadows.

"She's getting away, brother!" exclaimed the blue twin.

"I see that, brother!" replied the red twin "We have to catch her!"

The white-haired girl was hiding in the dark, behind a bush, while putting her knife back in where it belongs.

"_First, a man who can travel in people's dreams, then, a knight with a weird personality and now, two identical boys with battle axes. What am I going to meet next, a human with animal ears?"_

"Hohoemashī* Onee-san, where are you?" called the red-clad boy "The game isn't over yet."

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." said the blue-clad boy "We're supposed to play tag not hide-and-seek."

"_Tag…Don't tell me they are with that Ace-guy. I have to make them leave."_

Valeria took a little rock nearby and threw it far from her while making sure that it won't hit one of the boys' head. With her good ability to aim, the rock hit another bush.

"Did you hear that, brother?" asked Blue.

"Yeah, brother." said Red "It must be her."

Quickly, they ran to where the sound came from. When they were out of sight, Valeria came out of her hiding place and ran. She didn't know how long it will put them back, but she can only hope that it will be enough to give her time to arrive at a safe place. Suddenly, something made her trip on the ground. She looked over her shoulder to see the red…or maybe the blue boy (night visions=see things in green), holding his axe to the ground. He must have used it to make her fall.

"I've caught you, Hohoemashī Onee-san." he said with an innocent victorious tone.

"We have won the game." said the other one with the same tone, who was now in front of her.

Without any more hesitation, Valeria made the boy behind her drop his weapon with a spin kick and used her arms to push her toward him. She grabbed his neck and pinned him to the ground.

"Brother!" exclaimed his twin as he rushed to Valeria, ready to attack her.

The girl in black threw her catch at his brother which made both of them fall to the ground and the other axe was dropped too. Before they opened their eyes, their target was between them and has the blade of their weapon within a whisker of their neck and her feet on a hand of each twin, to make sure that they won't do something dirty. Before she could do anything more, morning arrived over Wonderland. The effects of her mask's night vision have disappeared and she can see clearly the twins. Their only difference is their colour. The one at her left was wearing blue clothes and has blue eyes and the other at her right was wearing red clothes and has red eyes. They seemed to be no more than 13 years old. Instead of being afraid and begging to let them live, the twins sighed in defeat with a smile.

"You have won, Hohoemashī Onee-san." said the boy in blue "We surrender."

"But next time, we won't be careless and lose again." said the boy in red "It was fun playing with you."

Valeria hesitated. Is it okay to let them go? When you're a kid who can fight, innocence is another type of weapon to get the enemy. You use it to fool someone, he/she let his/her guard down and he/she's done for.

"We've lost, but can you let us see your face?" asked the blue twin.

"If we don't know that, we won't manage to find and play with you again." said his twin "It would be sad, don't you think?"

"Please, Hohoemashī Onee-san." they begged in unison.

She decided to let them have what they want, but she won't let her guard down. She threw the battle axe in her left hand away. It was far enough for the twins to not get a reach of it. Slowly and carefully, she took off her mask to reveal her bloody red eyes. They didn't look surprised (after all, one of the twins has red eyes). Actually, they looked bored and disappointed.

"Aww man, I thought her eyes will look like a dragon's." commented the blue clad boy.

"I thought they would be like the ones of a cat, just like Boris." said the red clad one "But they're normal just like mine that that stupid white rabbit's."

The white-haired girl put her mask back on "Valeria."

"Huh?" the twins had a confused expression on their face.

"Name: Valeria." she detailed while pointing at herself with her thumb.

If we don't count Nightmare, it was the first time she spoke and told her name to someone from Wonderland. The two children were smiling innocently and widely to her two simple words.

"You can speak!" exclaimed the twins together with an amused tone "Now it's our turn to introduce ourselves."

"I'm Tweedle Dee." said the blue boy.

"And I'm Tweedle Dum." said the red boy.

"We're the Bloody Twins!" they said in unison.

"Bloody?" Valeria repeated with curiosity.

"Because we love killing." they answered joyfully.

The girl was surprised by their words and the way they said them. They were just little boys, but they were as bloodthirsty as hungry beats! They were close to the age when her first murder took place. It began with shakiness, wavering and fear. Thinking of her master punishing her made her pull the trigger of her pistol and ended the life of the victim. The thought of receiving a punishment from her superior always "helps" her succeed her missions. She couldn't help but feel sorry for them. With great strength, the white-haired girl tried to stay emotionless, but she threw the other axe next to the one on the ground.

"Where do you live?" she asked softly.

One day, she'll go to their place and try to help them become real children. She shouldn't be the one saying that, but she knows that they shouldn't play with the lives of others. The twins straightened.

"At the Hatter's mansion, silly." said Dee.

"Everyone in Wonderland knows that." said Dum.

"I'm…not from this world." Valeria hesitantly said, fearing that they don't like strangers.

The twins showed shock on their face.

"Could it be that you're a foreigner?" asked Dee.

"A foreigner?" their new female friend repeated.

"It's a person from another world." explained Dum.

Valeria thought for a moment without leaving the twins out of her sight "I think I am one."

"THAT'S GREAT!" they exclaimed with joy as they hugged her before she could do a move.

It was the first time she shared hugs with children. Maybe that world isn't a bad one, after all. Carefully, Valeria wrapped her arms around their body. If her life wouldn't have been harsh on her, she would have shed tears for them. She stopped crying ever since she was 6-years-old. When she was in pain, saw her comrades being tortured and dying, was feeling lonely or after she killed someone, she never cried. Because she knew that it won't help her. Soon, she let go of the twins.

"We'll meet again. Goodbye." the girl said before leaving.

"Come visit us anytime you want." said the two boys together waving their hand in the air.

When Valeria was out of sight, they went to get their battle axes.

"She's a good Onee-san, don't you think, brother?" asked Dum.

"Yeah." agreed Dee.

When they returned at the mansion, they were scolded by Elliot, but didn't care. Before morning arrived, Ace thought they were lost (which is impossible compared to him), so he went to search for Valeria himself. Blood, who the hare-man told everything to him, asked them why it took them so long.

"A foreigner was fighting us back." said Dee.

"She didn't use her weapons, but we have lost." said Dum.

Blood arched an eyebrow. A foreigner who can fight against armed kids with only her body? It's obvious that it couldn't be Alice who sees importance in life. The Hatter smirked, showing his interest.

"Her name is Valeria, she has long white wavy hair and red eyes, and wears a lot of black." detailed Dum.

"We even told her to come here as much as she wants." said Dee.

"That's good." said Blood "I'll spare your wages for now since you have found an interesting foreigner. Now, return to your position."

"Yes, Boss." said the twins in unison before going back to the mansion's gates.

The black-haired man looked at his loyal partner "When you see her, give an invitation of the next tea party to her. I would like to meet the girl as soon as possible."

Elliot bowed lightly, showing that he understood.

* * *

**MEANWHILE,  
AT VALERIA'S SIDE…**

A bit after her goodbyes to the twins, the white-haired girl has found a path. This time, she hopes that she won't be trouble. The path leads her to some kind of tower. From its door, came out a girl. She has long caramel-chestnut-coloured hair and bright blue eyes with a hint of green, was younger than her and wears a blue dress with a white apron. She seems to be someone she can trust. Without any more time-wasting, Valeria ran to the girl.

"Excuse me, Miss?" she tried to make the girl notice her which succeeded.

The brunette looked over her shoulder to see the murderess. She showed surprise and a bit of fear on her face.

"Who…Who are you?" she asked.

The white-haired girl took off her mask to show her face "My name is Valeria and I am what you might call a 'foreigner'."

A fourth person from Wonderland (is she?) now knows her name. The younger girl showed shock to her words just like Dee and Dum.

"A-A foreigner?" she repeated.

The white-haired girl nodded. Quickly, the younger girl grabbed her by the wrist and brought her inside the tower. There was a lot of stairs that leads up, but she didn't mind. Now that she was inside, she noticed that there are clocks everywhere. Where is she right now? Soon, the two girls arrived in front of a door. The girl named Alice (she told her name while walking up the stairs) give a sign to wait while she entered in the room. On the other side of the door, even though the sound of the clocks around her was giving her a hard time to her, Valeria could hear her speak with a man (a deep voice).

"Weren't you supposed to go buy the coffee beans?" said the man.

"I know, Julius, but I've met someone who needs help." said Alice

"Who is it?" asked the man named Julius

"It's a foreigner."

"A foreigner?" he repeated with a bit of surprise and curiosity "It can't be."

"But she said she was one." replied the brunette.

There was silence for a moment before a tired sigh was heard "Fine, bring her here."

Alice went to get Valeria and presented her to a man with very long dark navy-blue hair and eyes of the same colour. No doubt, it's Julius. He was working on clocks in a messy room. The man looked at her.

"I suppose you're the other foreigner." he said with an emotionless voice "Your name?"

"Valeria." she answered with a bow and the same tone as his.

That makes five, now.

Julius arched an eyebrow to her short answer "No family name?"

Valeria lightly shook her head to say 'no'.

"Not very talkative, aren't you?"

She gave the same answer with the same way. The two were silent and a heavy atmosphere was between them. It lasted only for a while. The navy-blue-haired man stood up from his desk and gave her his hand.

"My name is Julius Monrey. It's a pleasure to meet you." he said.

The black clad murderess feels that the name of that man was heard somewhere before, but ignored it. She'll think about it later. The girl took his hand in hers and shook it lightly.

"Likewise." she replied.

After that, the clock-repairer told her that Alice is a foreigner just like her and showed her a map of his world. She learns that there are four territories in this world, counting the Clover Tower. Three of them are having a power struggle: the Castle of Hearts ruled by the Queen of Hearts, Vivaldi; the Amusement Park, by a marquis named Gowland, and the one of the Hatter, leader of the mafia, Blood Dupre (that info shocked Valeria). The Clover Tower, Nightmare Gottschalk's territory was the only neutral land. Then, something came to her mind.

"Where does Ace live?" she asked.

The brunette and the clock-repairer showed more surprise on their face.

"Ace…You mean the knight with no sense of direction?" asked Alice.

Valeria nodded then showed a confused expression _"He has no sense of direction?"_

Then, she looked back at the clock-repairer "So?"

"Castle of Hearts." was the man's answer "But there's a chance that you might meet him somewhere else, be careful."

"Thank you and I will." the white-haired girl said with a bow.

Seeing that knight is the last thing she wants to do in Wonderland. Their first "conversation" wasn't the best to begin a good friendship. He thought they are partners in service of someone named… Now she remembers!

"Julius, you know Ace, right?" she asked.

"Yes."

"What did he meant by 'partner'? I think it's because of my mask." She put her mask back on and she saw a dark light in Julius' eyes.

"Don't worry. I'll speak to him when he'll come back here." he reassured with an emotionless tone "For now, you can live here just like Alice."

Valeria nodded. This is where Nightmare lives, so she doesn't need to worry. A question hit the brunette's mind.

"Who brought you here?"

"Nightmare." said the murderess.

"Nightmare? Really?" she repeated with disbelief.

Valeria nodded again. She was questioned a lot in one day (?). That information brought surprise for their mind again. What could have made the dream-demon decide to take this girl here? For now, they have to abandon their curiosity.

"Did he make you drink the Medicine of the Heart?" asked Julius.

Valeria immediately knew what he meant. She opened the little case of bullets where her vial was still intact and showed it to the man. To her surprise, it contained a little bit of the colourless liquid inside; it was at the base's level. How come? She remembered that she drank all of its bitter containing. Julius saw her confusion so he decided to explain the game she is playing now, but the white-haired girl refused to hear it.

"Just tell me if the game is hard or easy to play and the role of the vial in it." she requested.

"Easy and the vial is like some kind of key." the man said.

It was the first time a foreigner doesn't want to hear the rules of the game in this world. Why? Does she want to understand them by herself? For now, he has to focus on his work. Alice led her new friend to a guest room next to hers that looks quite like hers.

"If you need anything, tell me, okay?"

Valeria nodded again. The room was more than what she had ever had. Instead of a hard bed in a dark and cold prison-looking room where light barely enters inside, she has a soft and comfortable one in a bright and warm room with plenty of sunlight to shine inside. For her, it was a dreamy heaven. The white-haired girl looked at every corner with awe. She undressed herself until she has only her dress on and put everything, plus her vial, on the top of a console table near the bed. Finally, she went under the covers of the "bed of heavens". The feeling was so wonderful that she fell asleep in a few seconds; she doesn't care if it's still morning. A slight smile was on her lips. She decided to spare the incubus. This world isn't a bad one, after all.

"_Thanks, Nightmare."_

Next to the girl's sleeping body, the incubus came out of a portal. He was smiling as he put a lock of her hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek with the back of his right hand. He chuckled.

"You're welcome, my dear Valeria." he whispered kindly in her ear "Now, sleep well and sweet dreams."

He kissed her forehead and pulled the blankets more over her before leaving her new room. He went to see Julius who seemed to be unhappy.

"Did you bring her here against her will?" the dark bluenette asked.

The incubus chuckled "No. Actually, she wanted to be here."

"Why?"

Nightmare was silent as he looked absent-minded for a moment "…For happiness and freedom."

END OF THE CHAPTER  
**Please review, but nothing too bad.**

_Hohoemashi*= charming/pleasant/amusing in Japanese_


	3. Chapter 3

Valeria opened slowly her eyes. She straightened and stretched out. She could feel lightness in her entire body. She looked outside to see the sun still shining brightly. A slight smile appeared on her face. She got out of her bed, put her socks, boots, gloves and belts on and tied her hair in a high-ponytail. She felt that the cloak and mask won't be necessary. Only her weapons and the vial are. Next to her two accessories, she saw a map of Wonderland. Someone must have left it here for her. Either it was Julius, Alice or Nightmare, but it didn't matter to her. She folded the map small enough for her to put it in her bullet-case with the glassed container. She wrote a note saying that she'll go explore the world. Without even making any slight sound (the clocks' ticking would still covered the noise of her steps), she left the tower and thought of what Julius had told her.

There are four territories in Wonderland which three are having a power struggle. The only one who isn't fighting is the Clover Tower, the incubus' territory. The three others are the Amusement Park, owned by the marquis Gowland, the Castle of Hearts, ruled by the Queen Vivaldi, and the lands of the Hatter, leader of the mafia, Blood Dupre.

Then, Valeria remembered that Dee and Dum live at the latter's. Her worry grew. She quickly took the path that leads to the Hatter's mansion. The twins told her that she can come there as much as she wants. She hopes that they're fine. It took her a while to arrive at the mansion. At their gates stood the Bloody Twins with a bored expression on their face and their battle axes. The white-haired girl sighed with relief. They were okay.

"Dee! Dum!" she called which made them notice her.

"Hohoemashī Onee-san!" they exclaimed with a wide smile as they ran toward her "You came to play with us."

They swung their weapon at her, but she dodged them with a high front flip jump and landed behind the twins. She turned around and, to her surprise, saw their axes turned to guns and they were pointed at her. When Dee and Dum shot, Valeria quickly laid down. Then, she made a spin kick on the ground which made them trip and let go of their weapons. In a blink, the white-haired girl took their guns and pointed them at their head. She saw and heard the twins laughing.

"You've beat us again, Onee-san." said Dee.

"You're strong!" said Dum "We thought we could win this time."

Valeria had to admit that their attack with their unexpected weapons was good. Get your enemies by surprise, another important rule of an assassin. If she didn't have her quick and nimble speed, she would have been a goner. Suddenly, she hears someone applauding on the other side of the gates. She and the twins looked at where the sound came from and saw Blood with a smirk. The white-haired girl immediately recognized him as the Hatter (A/N: **hat**ter, of course), leader of this world's mafia. With a lot of self-control, she tries not to tremble and show fear due to her memories of being part of a mafia gang herself.

"Boss!" the twins exclaimed.

"I see that the new foreigner has arrived." the dark-haired man said as he stopped applauding, before opening the gates and walking toward them with a welcoming smile "My name is Blood Dupre. It's nice to finally meet you, Miss Valeria. The twins had told me about you and your abilities."

Six people in Wonderland now know her name.

With distrust, she carefully gave the guns back to the twins and bowed to the mafia leader "The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Dupre."

Her tone is emotionless, the members of the Hatter family noticed.

"Please, call me Blood." he requested.

"My…_former_ master told me to always speak with respect to people superior to Me." she replied with the same tone "I hope you understand."

"_Also, calling someone "Blood" doesn't seem good for my mind."_

"Hmmm…" Blood thought for a moment "Alright."

Before she could sigh of relief, the twins immediately and suddenly hugged her tightly, giving her unbalance to her stand for a moment.

"HURRAY! You can stay and play with us!" they exclaimed with glee.

The white-haired girl didn't know if it was a good thing or not to "trust" Blood, but she is glad that he let her be with Dee and Dum. She wants to protect, help and keep an eye on them. Carefully, she put her arms around them in a protective way.

"Hey, Blood, what are you doing over there?" asked Elliot as he walked to them.

"Ah, Elliot, I was talking with Miss Valeria over here." the mafia boss introduced the girl with his hand "You should say hello to her too. It's impolite for a gentleman not to introduce himself."

That makes seven people.

"Oh! Right!" the orange-haired hare-man walked closer and looked over Blood's shoulder to look at their guest.

A bright smile was on his face as his animal ears flopped "Nice to meet you, Valeria! My name is Elliot March, but you can just call me Elliot."

When she saw him, Valeria's eyes widened with shock and fear as her body trembled. Her embrace on the twins tightened, so much that the boys had a bit of difficulties to breathe.

"O…Onee-san! Need…air." they said through throttled breathing.

The white-haired girl realized that Dee and Dum were still hugging her. Before anything could be done or said, she rapidly ran away with the boys tightly in her arms. Blood and Elliot were surprised by her unexpected reaction.

The hare-eared man looked at his superior "Did I do something wrong?"

Blood had noticed the way she looked at Elliot. It was just like Alice when she saw him for the very first time. No doubt, it was that face.

"No. You have just reminded her of someone in her world." he told his loyal partner before going back inside the mansion "She'll come back. Also, don't forget the invitation."

The hare-eared man nodded before looking at the direction Valeria took with the twins.

"That doesn't explain why she ran away with the brats, though." he thought aloud before going to where they might be.

* * *

**IN THE CLOVER TOWER…**

Gray Ringmarc couldn't believe what he was seeing: Nightmare was WORKING! The incubus was unstoppably, mechanically and quickly writing on the sheets of paper while nervously drinking a mug of coffee as he was trembling. It all happened a few minutes after the lizard-tattooed man was trying to catch his superior to get his paperwork done. He remembered that, years ago, it happened a few times. What in Wonderland made the lazy dream-demon do his work without using force?

"Whatever it is, I'm fine with it as long as Nightmare-sama finish his work." thought Gray.

Nightmare was panicking. He can feel Valeria's heart falling again in the depths of horrible darkness and despair. The Jokers and the Prison are nothing compared to her poor and desperate mind. The first time he went in it, it horrified him. And the girl was only 4 years old, when it happened! He remembers it perfectly. It took him more than fifteen cups of coffee and countless time-passings of working without sleep to get rid of the scary mind's effects.

"_Valeria...please hang on!"_

* * *

**MEANWHILE,  
AT VALERIA AND THE TWINS' SIDE…**

"Onee-san, stop running!" said Dee, shaken by the girl's hold.

"Yeah, we're not feeling well!" added Dum, under the same condition.

Immediately, the murderess stopped running and looked behind her to make sure a certain someone was chasing them, especially her. She became aware that there were only trees on sight, but that wasn't her biggest worry. When everything seemed safe, she gently set the boys on the ground.

"Geez, Onee-san, what was that for?" asked the blue twin.

"Did the cheeky bunny scare you?" asked the red one "Sure he's ugly to look at, but we wouldn't…"

To their surprise, she hugged them as she trembled.

"O…Onee-san?" Dum called her.

"Are you okay?" Dee asked.

"You…poor children…" Valeria whispered to them softly with a quaver "you must have endured a lot."

The Bloody Twins looked at her as if she told them a riddle.

"What do you mean?" they asked in unison.

The girl was shocked to their reply. She let go of them and looked at them.

"Does…Does he beat you?" she asked.

"Who does?" they asked together.

"The man with orange hair." she added.

"Oh! Well, yeah, he always hits us when we're annoying him or not doing our job." the blue twin said, annoyed.

Valeria's eyes widened and her irises shrunk. Again, she tightly hugged the twins.

"Hey, Onee-san, we love you, too…" said Dee.

"…but you don't need to hug us every time." completed Dum.

They noticed that the new foreigner looked very sad. Wanting to see her smile, the twins decided to take her to a particular fun place. They dragged her by the arms.

"_Where are they taking me?"_

Soon, they arrived at a very colorful topsy-turvy place. Faceless people were smiling. Some in yellow outfits must be the employees, because they were greeting everyone with a big smile. The atmosphere was so warm. The place was weird-looking, but it gave a sweet feeling to Valeria's heart.

"_What is this place?"_

"Onee-san, have you been to an amusement park, before?" asked Dee.

"_So this is the Amusement Park of Wonderland…" _

She shook her head her head to say "no". The two boys were now the ones to be shocked.

"YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO ONE? EVER?" asked the blue twin.

Valeria shook her head again. Immediately, they pulled her inside the fun place. That's when she remembered the power struggle between the three territories. She stopped the twins. They looked at her, wondering why she did that.

"Why are you on the enemy's territory?" she asked with a low voice.

Dee and Dum looked at each other before looking back at the girl.

"Don't worry. We have Boris with us." reassured the blue boy.

"Also, the owner doesn't hate us. Only the boss." added the red one.

"Why?" the twins were restraining their laughter to the question.

They looked around before coming closer to Valeria's ear.

"The owner's full name is…" the two role-holders whispered "Mary Gowland!"

The white-haired maiden only arched her eyebrow. So the marquis' name is the cause of the conflict. She had to admit that a man being called "Mary" is unusual, but it's nothing compared to "Blood". Seeing that she didn't understand, Dee and Dum tried to explain.

"When we say his full name in Japanese, it makes "Merry-go-round"!" they said in unison before laughing "Boss told it to everyone in the Heart Kingdom."

The new foreigner still didn't get it. How come a silly wordplay led to a fight between the two territories? The twins sighed, realizing that she didn't get it.

"Gowland thinks his name is embarrassing…" said Dee.

"…so imagine the entire kingdom knowing It." completed Dum.

The young black-clad woman thought for a moment. If the entire world knew her name, everyone would be in great danger, even her. So, although with a different view, she guessed that she understands.

"Hey, guys!" called a young man's voice behind them.

They looked at where the voice came from and saw the fuchsia-pink Cheshire cat, Boris Airay. A grin was on the boys' face while Valeria was shocked as her eyes widened. This time, it was due to joy.

"Boris!" the Bloody Twins exclaimed at the same time.

"Bernardo!" the murderess exclaimed with a smile as she hugged the human-cat.

"WAH!" the cat-eared man yelled, almost losing his balance "Who…Who are you?"

The white-haired maiden then remembered that she is in Wonderland and that the fuchsia-pink humanoid cat with punk look isn't who she thought he was. With sadness and deception, she let go of him and bowed deeply.

"I'm sorry for my outburst. I…I thought you were someone I knew." she apologized softly, still looking at the ground _"What was I thinking? Bernardo died years ago."_

She suddenly felt a gentle ruffle on her head. She looked up to see Boris laughing lightly.

"No need to feel so bad about It." he reassured as he extended his hand "My name is Boris Airay. What is yours?"

"Va…Valeria." that was the eighth person who knows her name.

Then, Boris saw her weapons "Are these guns? Can you show them to me?"

She took one of her guns out of its holster and gave it to the human-cat to examine it.

"A Tanfoglio Force 22L. Hmmm…" the cat gave her back her weapon and gave her his arm "Want a tour of the amusement park?"

Valeria nodded as she took his arm. The twins followed behind. They were feeling a bit jealous. When they met each other, she was on her guards before showing a light smile to them. With Boris, it was immediately a great happy one. The Cheshire cat explained to her the meaning of the faceless people, the role-holders and the foreigner.

"_So the faceless are like supporting characters while the role-holders and foreigner are the main ones."_

At the end of the explanation, a man with short messy hair, a pigtail, oval-shaped glasses, a few beard hairs, a weird flashy outfit with musical notes and belts with little horse and a violin was in his hand. Again, Valeria was shocked, but kept complete control on her body.

"It's not him. It's not him, Valeria. He died, too, so don't imagine unreasonable things." she thought to herself.

"Ah! Nice to meet you, Miss! I'm the owner of the Amusement Park, Gowland." the man introduced himself as he gave her his hand.

"Valeria." she shook his hand for a second before immediately let go of it.

It was now the ninth person.

"She's also a foreigner, Old Man!" added Boris with a sniff "Her scent is the same as Alice, yet different! It has a Wonderland-fragrance in it! That's why it was hard for me to identify her!"

Valeria was surprised to her new friend's use of his nose. Gowland gave her a cheery smile as he put his violin on his shoulder.

"Well, my dear Valeria, just for you, I'll play a beautiful song I've made recently." he said, the bow on his instrument.

The three other role-holders had a face of pure horror while the white-haired maiden stayed emotionless to the owner's words. The instrument began to play its terrible cacophony, with Gowland singing out of tune, and all the ones near them had their hands clamped on their ears. When the "music" was over, to everyone's relief, the sound of clapping hands was heard. Boris and the twins saw that their new foreigner friend was the one who was applauding! She was even smiling and laughing a bit! What kind of girl is she, a masochist? Valeria had never laugh, not even a slight giggle, before. Today was her very first time.

"Ha-ha! Bravo! Encore! Encore!" she said.

Gowland seemed to beam with joy and pride "Ah, finally someone who can see my talent! Since you insist that much, I'll play another melody!"

"Does she want to kill us?" Boris thought before taking the girl by the wrist and running far away from the owner.

The twins were following behind. The humanoid cat stopped running when they arrived at one of the Amusement Park's rollercoasters.

"What is wrong with you?" exclaimed the humanoid cat to the murderess "Didn't you hear the horrible noises the old man made with his instrument?"

"Umm…Yes, I did." she answered.

"Then why were you applauding and asking for more?"

Valeria looked at the ground with sadness and nostalgia "Good memories."

Then, she turned her back to her feline friend and walked away, ignoring the twins and Boris. She didn't want to talk about her past. While walking, she closed her eyes and thought of her past.

* * *

_~Italy, many years ago~_

_The white-haired girl was looking at a violin and its bow resting on a table. A man who similarly looked like Gowland walked toward her with a proud grin. _

"_Do you like the violin?" he asked kindly. _

_Valeria didn't say a thing. The man ruffled her hair while laughing. The girl kept her emotionless expression. Carefully, he took the instrument and played it. It was a TERRIBLE noise! Her bloody-red eyes widened lightly. When the "music" was over, the man looked at her with a laugh. _

"_HA-HA-HA-HA-HA, I know, I know. It's so horrible." he said "You must be wondering why I keep a violin with me if I play it so badly." _

_Then, he looked at the instrument with nostalgia "It belonged to my deceased wife, Clara. I play it when I am sad or think of her or when it's the anniversary of her birth, death or our marriage." _

_Valeria continued to be emotionless. _

"_It's thanks to this wonderful instrument that I've met her for the very first time. And believe me if I tell you that she played it as horrible as me." the man laughed again with a wink "That cacophony of hers made me notice her and it was love at first sight." _

_He ruffled her hair again and looked quite sad with a hint of regret. _

"_Before leaving this world, she really wanted a child…so do I." he murmured before leaning closer to the girl's face "I wish you were our little girl, Clara and mine." _

_The man softly kissed her forehead which made her eyes widened lightly. His lips were so warm back then, so full of love and care. It could almost bring tears to her eyes and was like a very tiny ray of light and hope in her empty desperate heart._

* * *

"Watch out!"

Suddenly, a hand, grabbing her wrist from behind, made Valeria open her eyes, snap out of her thoughts and stop walking. Then, in the blink of an eye, a pile of a rollercoaster's rail tracks fell a few steps away from the girl and her saviour. If she had continued to walk, she would have been a goner. The murderess looked up so that she can see the person who had saved her life and thank him/her. Who she saw made her have an expression of great fear: it was Elliot March! Her whole body was trembling. No sound came out of her mouth, not even a little whimper. When the hare-man looked at her, she avoided his gaze. He was relieved and worried at the same time.

"Phew, that was a close one. Are you alright? Don't be afraid, you're safe now." he said kindly.

Despite his reassuring words, Valeria didn't stop trembling.

"_It's not _him_, but he's from the mafia. I can't trust him, even if he has saved my life!" _

"Hey! What are you doing to Hohoemashī Onee-san, Newbie-Hare?" asked Dee.

"Yeah, what are you doing to her?" repeated Dum.

Elliot let go of the foreigner's wrist and looked at the twin with annoyance. Valeria stopped shaking, but looked at the twins with worry. Boris was close behind.

"Nothing bad! I've just saved her life and bones from a shower of metal scraps!" he yelled, pointing the pile of railroad to prove his words.

The fuchsia-pink humanoid cat sighed "Geez, that's the third time in one time-passing. The old man tries to repair the problem, but it is fixed only for a few moments. I have to tell him that this rollercoaster has to be taken care of…again."

Before he left, Boris handed a platinum card with the word "PASS" on it to Valeria.

"It's a Platinum Pass. Gift of the old man." he said "With this, you can go to any rides without taking long lines. I hope you'll come back."

The girl in black held the pass as if it was a treasure of great value. She smiled softly before widely and joyfully at Boris.

"I will!" she replied.

The cat-man laughed and waved good-bye, leaving their sight. Carefully, Valeria put the pass in her bullet-case.

"Let's go back to the mansion!" said Elliot.

"Aww, but we haven't gone to a ride yet." whined Dee.

"Yeah, we haven't!" said Dum with the same tone.

"Stop slacking off and go back to the gates!" ordered the hare-man, annoyed by their childish attitude.

"No! We want to play with Onee-san!" the boys were clinging to Valeria.

Their superior growled "Why you little brats!"

Sensing danger, the foreigner hugged the twins and made them look at her. Her gaze was severe yet soft and begging.

"Please do as he says. Besides, we can still come back here, another day."

Dee and Dum looked unhappy before obeying. They followed Elliot behind. Blood's co-worker stopped for a moment and looked over his shoulder to look at Valeria. The latter stood frozen. Her bloody-red eyes were focused on the blue-coloured ones with a slight glint of purple of Elliot. The colour reminded her of someone…or something, but who/what?

"Blood wants to invite you to his next tea party. It will be around midnight, like always. You better be there." he said.

Even though he said it with tease and kindness, the black-clad maiden saw that as an order. She deeply bowed, showing that she will go to the Hatter's mansion. When the Bloody Twins and Elliot were out of her sight, she lost more of this morning's light she felt in her heart. Later, when it was sundown, she arrived at Clover Tower. Alice was at the door and soon saw the other foreigner.

"Ah! Valeria how was your d…?" she interrupted herself when she noticed that the murderess went back inside her new lodging without saying hello and looking at her.

"What happened to her?" the brunette thought.

Valeria was in her room, thoughtful. She has to be ready for the tea party. Because of that, she can't relax or going to sleep, fearing to miss the event. All she can do for now is waiting for midnight to arrive.

* * *

**MEANWHILE,  
AT THE HATTER'S MANSION…**

Dee and Dum were waiting at the gates, impatient to see their favorite Onee-san. The faceless servants were preparing the tea party. Blood and Elliot were finishing some paperwork. While working, the orange-haired role-holder noticed something about the new foreigner: she didn't spoke to him. She did to everyone but him. He remembered the fear on her face. Blood told him that he reminded her of someone in her world.

"_I hope I don't look like someone she hates."_

END OF THE CHAPTER  
**Please review, but nothing too bad.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the fourth chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

As a former (she thinks) pawn of a mafia boss, she knows when she's in trouble or not. Right now, Valeria doesn't know which situation she's in. Is being at a tea party with the members of Wonderland's mafia a sign of death? Even if Alice, the other foreigner, was with her and is a friend of the dangerous gang, she couldn't stay calm. At the long table, the poor murderess was face to face with Blood while Alice was at her left and the twins at her right. Elliot was at the leader's right, looking at Valeria with focused eyes. It's like he was expecting something from the black maiden. He was so concentrated on her that he didn't touch a single carrot dish. It was quite a surprise/unusual sight for the others. The silence in the atmosphere was so dense that only the sound of the light wind and the rustle of the leaves were heard. It was quite boring to the Hatter.

"Is there something bothering you, Miss?" he asked neutrally.

To his question, the white-haired girl shook her head silently while avoiding his gaze. She didn't want to talk. She is afraid to make a mistake with her words.

"Are you still afraid of the cheeky bunny, Hohoemashī Onee-san?" asked Dee with worry.

Elliot was offended by that.

"Hey, I'm not that scary!" he exclaimed.

Valeria trembled to his angered voice.

"See? You're frightening her, stupid bunny!" talked aback Dum.

"I am NOT a bunny!" his expression calmed down when he looked at the white-haired girl "I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable. It's just that those brats are always annoying me."

"And we're very proud of it!" added the twins in unison.

The hare-man growled to them which made the boys laugh. For the murderess, it was a bad sign. She stood up from her chair and walked toward the Bloody Twins. Then, to everyone's surprise, she pulled their ear, but not too hard.

"OUCH! Onee-san, what are you doing?"

"Yeah, it hurts." whined the red one.

Valeria hates hearing pain coming from children's mouth, but they must know the danger of facing superiors.

"I'll stop when you'll stop bothering Er…Elliot." she almost said her former master's name.

"EH?" exclaimed Dee.

"But…Onee-san…" whined again Dum.

"I'll be in a better mood knowing that you won't cause trouble." she added.

The twins wanted to see their new Onee-san happy, so they did as she said, even though it was very boring. When she returned to her seat, the black-clad maiden took her cup of tea and a carrot cookie with cream on it.

"_Did they put poison in them?"_

Seeing her distrust, Blood arched an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you're alright, Miss?"

The young woman tried to keep her cool "Yes. It's just that it's the first time I'm invited to a tea party."

"Oh? Does that explain why you're mistrusting us, right now?" that question brought her a bit off guard.

"I…I thought you were testing me."

"Testing? Why do you mean by that?"

"My former master trained me to be his loyal tool. I was like a pawn he can use to his liking."

The words came automatically out of her mouth like a robot.

"You poor girl." said Alice sadly to her.

"What did he make you do?" asked Dee.

"What kind of job does he have?" asked Dum.

Again, she spoke neutrally without restrain "He gave me the order to kill people…because he's the leader of the mafia family I worked for."

Alice was shocked to knowing that. The Hatter family members were only a bit surprised. What a coincidence that the new foreigner lived the same life they have until she came to Wonderland.

"Is that why you're not feeling okay with having tea with us?" asked a concerned Elliot.

Under the table, her hands turned to trembling fists gripping the fabric of her uniform while she was avoiding the hare-man's gaze. Though, she nodded for replying. The orange-haired man took a very big slice of carrot cake and it took three/four mouthfuls of it to finish. The white-haired girl's eyes widened at the sight. How could he eat that large piece of pastry up in just a few bites? The second-in-command looked again at her and smiled widely.

"See? No problem!" he reassured.

Valeria looked at the cream-topped cookie again before taking a very little bite of it. After masticating it, she stopped and a light blush appeared on her cheeks as her eyes softened. Then, she continued to savour the treat.

"It's good." she mumbled when she was done eating the little pastry.

If you think the cookie's tasty, then try the cake." Elliot gave her a slice of carrot cake as big as his on a plate.

This time, she didn't hesitate. The more she ate, the more she looked happy and free. Blood sighed with desperation while Dee and Dum were annoyed that the "bunny" made their favorite Onee-san smile.

"Great, another person who likes carrot dishes." the leader thought sarcastically.

Alice giggled.

"Geez, you look like you've never ate sweets in your life."

That sentence that was said with amusement ruined the girl in black's mood. Her sad expression returned and the cake became savorless in her mouth. The brunette realised that she said something she shouldn't have.

"I…never did…not even once…until now."

"I'm…I'm sorry." Alice apologized.

Then, the night sky of midnight changed to the one of early morning. Tea time is over. The two foreigners stood up and bowed lightly.

"It seems that we have to leave." said the brunette.

"Can we go with you?" asked the twins in unison.

"Hell no, you can't!" exclaimed Elliot after finishing a cookie "Guarding the gates of the mansion, remember?"

Again, a fight took place with the three role-holders. The first foreigner thought of an idea to stop them.

"Hey, guys! Valeria hasn't explore the mansion and its garden yet. How about we give her a tour?"

Immediately, the hare-man and the two little guards smiled to her suggestion.

"Yeah, good idea!" agreed Dee.

"Let's show her our room!" suggested Dum.

"No way! You'll kill her just like the others!" refused Elliot.

Hearing that made the black maiden's eyes widened.

"_Kill? The others…who is he referring to?"_

The Bloody Twins looked at her, smiling innocently.

"Hohoemashī Onee-san, do you want to see our room?" asked Dee "I'm sure you want to!"

"Yeah, you want to!" added Dum.

Quickly, Alice went to Valeria's side and she laughed nervously.

"Uh…I think she should see the halls and floors first." she said.

"I agree!" the hare-eared man took the white-haired maiden's hand and pulled her inside the mansion.

Blood followed behind while the faceless servants were cleaning the table. Inside, Elliot explained and showed the new foreigner the ways to go in the manor and its specific rooms. During the entire visit, the murderess didn't say a word. Each time the hare-man looked at her, he was grinning at her in a friendly way. He didn't even let go of her. Finally, they arrived at a guest room.

"This is where you can sleep if you want to stay." he explained "You are always welcomed here, Valeria, so please visit us often."

He said her name with familiarity, but she was avoiding his eyes. She nodded before whispering something in Alice's ear. It was so soft that Elliot's long animal ears couldn't hear it. Then, the brunette looked at him.

"She thanks you for the hospitality, but she already has a place to stay." she told.

"Oh." the twins and the hare-man looked disappointed.

"Where?" asked Dee.

"At the Clover Tower." she answered.

Hearing that made the orange-haired man frown with a dark glint in his eyes as his free hand turned into a fist. His grip on Valeria's hand was lightly tighter.

"I…see." he said with a growl under his breath.

The tone of that voice and the strength of his grip on her made the girl in black tremble. It reminds her of her former master. Alice and the twins soon noticed it.

"Elliot, you're scaring Valeria!" warned the brunette.

The second-in-command looked at his grip and immediately let go which made the murderess in black calm down.

"So…Sorry." he apologized.

The new foreigner opened her mouth and tried to reassure him that it's alright, but no sound came from it. Seeing that she couldn't, she immediately closed her mouth. Elliot now looked worry.

"Are…Are you mad?" he asked.

The maiden shook her head. He was a bit relieved to know that. He wanted her to speak to him. Not through someone else's mouth, he wants it directly. When it was time to leave, Alice and Valeria bowed and said goodbye to them. The two foreigners were on their way to the Clover Tower. When the Hatter's mansion was far out of sight, the maiden in black immediately fell on her knees and took deep breathings. That worried the brunette as she kneeled next to her new friend.

"Ah! Valeria, what's wrong?"

"I…I'm alive." the white-haired girl said it with relief "Than…Thank goodness."

"Va…Valeria?"

The murderess looked at her apologetically before standing up and continuing their walk.

* * *

While the twins continue their duty, Blood and Elliot were in the leader's office. The Hatter sipped a bit of his black tea before returning to his paperwork.

"The new foreigner is a bit boring, but her skills are interesting." he thought aloud "She might be useful to us. Don't you agree, Elliot?"

No reply was given. Blood looked at the hare-man and noticed that he seemed negatively deep in thought.

"Elliot?" his voice was louder to make his second-in-command regain his attention.

It worked and the hare-eared man looked at him, a bit startled.

"Ah…umm…what were you saying, Blood?"

"That the new foreigner might be of good use to us." repeated the black-haired man.

"Ah." was all Elliot said.

The mafia leader noticed the feeling of distraction and disinterest in his tone. Now, he was curious.

"Elliot, is there something bothering you?"

"Well…it's about her, actually." the orange-haired man hesitated "Her attitude toward me is troubling me. She didn't spoke to me during the tea party and her tour of the mansion and when she needed to, she did it through Alice."

"Oh?" said Blood.

"You told me that I remind her of a person from her world." Elliot reminded with depression "It seems that I look like someone she hates."

Suddenly, the twins barged in the room.

"Yep, and it's the same with Boris and Gowland!" they exclaimed in unison.

"WAH…HEY, don't come in like that!" exclaimed the hare-man "AND AREN'T YOUTWO BRATS SUPPOSED TO GUARD THE GATES?"

The Hatter ignored their breaking in his office.

"You're saying that Boris and Mary remind her of people from her world, too?"

"Yeah, when she saw Boris, she jumped on him and hugged him with a big smile!" told Dee "And, after hearing Gowland's terrible music play, she laughed and asked for more!"

"She said that they remind her of her past." said next Dum.

The hare-eared man fell deeper in depression. Those two also brought back memories to Valeria, but she's happy with them. Why can't it be with him? He sighed deeply and negatively.

"If you want her to like you, then show her that you're not like whomever you remind her of." said Blood as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You…You think that it'll work?" asked his loyal partner, doubtful that it may work.

"It's that or she'll hate you for the rest of her stay in Wonderland." replied the mafia leader.

It was a stab in the heart (in a comical way) for the poor Elliot. Just thinking about the white-haired foreigner hating him was painful. He remembered her barely yet soft smiling face. He wants to see it again.

"Ok, I'll try." the orange-haired role-holder thought aloud.

"Good. Now that your problem is solved," the Hatter handed him a handful of paper, still writing and looking at his paperwork neutrally "help me finish this paper burden or it's no carrot dishes for nine time-passings."

Immediately, Elliot panicked to the idea of being deprived of his favorite food and worked on his pile of work.

* * *

**MEANWHILE,  
AT VALERIA'S SIDE…**

Resting on the bed, she looked at the vial she held in the air. The liquid's level was now a bit over the base. According to her eyes, measurements and calculations, the first check of her vial was 2% and this one was now 4%.

"_What will happen when the vial will be 100% full?"_

For the first time after so many years, she felt tiredness. Since she's in Wonderland, she isn't afraid of sleeping. Nightmare will help her relax in her sleep…until the end of his explanation of a lookalike of her former superior. Slowly, she went in the Dream Realm. There, the black maiden saw the incubus, showing his back to her. He held an orb that was showing someone's dream/nightmare. A few seconds of silence later, he turned around to look at her. His eyes showed sadness with dark circles under them. Valeria doesn't know that the horrible (psychological) state of her heart causes that ever since she was a little girl. Even though she has a neutral and calm face, she was angry and nervous inside. Nightmare read her mind.

"Valeria…"

Immediately after he said her name, she quickly went toward him and tightly grabbed the collar of his black top. All her feelings were now on her face and overflowing in her words.

"WHY? WHY ELLIOT LOOK SO MUCH LIKE ERNESTO? WHY, NIGHTMARE?" she yelled, frustrated "TELL ME, WHY?"

Just by saying her former master's name made her see his face. It was similar to Elliot's, but older with an expression of enjoyment of treating others like pawns and toys, his wavy hair was as dark as darkness and his cruel eyes were as blue as ice with no light. The eye-patched role-holder read her mind and continued to look at her with sadness and silence. A few seconds, which seemed like hours for Valeria, passed before he gave her his reply.

"I'm truly sincerely sorry, but all I can say is that an unexpected mishap happened before you came here."

"Wha…What do you mean, "a mishap"?" asked the black maiden, slowly calming herself.

"…Elliot…wasn't supposed to be the March Hare." explained Nightmare "He gained the right through the previous one's will."

"Who was his predecessor?" her curiosity made her ask the question.

"…I cannot tell you." Nightmare said.

"Why?"

"You have to find the answer yourself." the incubus' face became sadder.

Everything around them began to fade. The silver-haired dream-demon carefully held Valeria's pale face in his hands and softly kissed her forehead. Then, he hugged her, her head resting on his chest.

"It's time to wake up, my dear." he whispered in her ear "Also, don't distance yourself from Elliot. He's a good person…just like your cuddy toy."

His last words surprised the maiden in black.

"My…cuddy toy?" she repeated in a soft whisper.

Before the girl could say anything more, her eyes were gradually closed. When they reopened themselves, she was back in her room. The murderess straightened up and began to think. She remembered what Nightmare told her.

"_My cuddy toy…what did he meant by that?" _

The white-haired maiden tried to remember a plush she saw or had before. Suddenly, a horribly painful headache was felt. She held her head in her hands as she gritted her teeth, making sure she won't yell in pain. She realized that the more she will try to remember, the more she'll suffer, so she stopped pondering about it.

"_Something…is preventing me to remember…why?"_

END OF CHAPTER  
**Please review, but nothing too bad**


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